Tavern Guide

Greetings Adventurers!

Rolling Bones Tavern is bringing a unique tavern-themed gaming experience to Downtown Schenectady, creating a welcoming destination for tabletop gamers, collectors, families, and hobbyists. Our store combines tabletop gaming, retail, events, beer, wine, and light food service into a single community-focused experience where guests can gather, play, learn, compete, and create lasting memories.

On any given day, you might help a family discover their first board game, assist a Magic player with a deck upgrade, host a tournament, teach someone a new game, recommend the perfect gift, or simply help create the kind of atmosphere that keeps people coming back week after week.

Rolling Bones Tavern is currently under construction with a planned opening in late 2026. While we are not planning to begin interviews for some time, we are beginning to identify potential future team members and may reach out to qualified candidates as construction progresses and opening day approaches.

Who We Are

Everything we do is guided by a simple mission:

To create immersive gaming experiences that deliver unforgettable moments and unite everyday heroes in our community, so we can proudly be the tavern where your next gaming adventure begins.

To accomplish that mission, we strive to embody three core values:

• Adventure - Creating that spark of wonder and excitement that comes with stepping into a new story.
• Heroism - A mindset of kindness, courage, and lifting others up, one action at a time.
• Community - A welcoming space where everyone belongs, and where giving back is part of the game.

We're looking to hire individuals who support this mission and want to help us create a welcoming, community-focused environment for everyone who steps through our door.

While the Tavern location is new, Rolling Bones Tavern Games has spent years serving the gaming community through online sales, convention appearances, organized play, community events, and charitable fundraising efforts throughout the Northeast.

Position Overview

Tavern Guides are the front-line ambassadors of Rolling Bones Tavern. They help guests discover games, navigate the hobby, participate in events, and enjoy everything the tavern has to offer.

This position blends customer service, retail sales, event support, and light food and beverage service. Successful candidates are friendly, dependable, eager to learn, and passionate about helping others have a great experience.

Responsibilities may include

• Welcoming guests and providing exceptional customer service
• Helping customers find games, collectibles, and hobby products
• Making recommendations based on customer interests and experience levels
• Operating the point-of-sale system and processing transactions
• Restocking merchandise and maintaining store appearance
• Assisting with inventory-related tasks
• Supporting tournaments, leagues, demos, and community events
• Checking players into events and collecting entry fees
• Answering customer and player questions
• Teaching games and introducing customers to new hobbies
• Assisting with event setup and breakdown
• Performing general cleaning and upkeep
• Assisting with food and beverage service as needed

Food & Beverage Service

Rolling Bones Tavern will offer food, beer, and wine as part of the overall tavern experience.

While food service is an important part of the business, we are not a full-service restaurant. Our menu is intentionally straightforward, and training will be provided for food preparation and kitchen procedures.

Applicants with food service experience are encouraged to apply, but previous kitchen experience is not required.

Qualifications

Required

• Friendly, welcoming, and professional attitude
• Reliable attendance and punctuality
• Strong customer service skills
• Interest and enthusiasm in tabletop gaming and geek culture
• Ability to learn new games, products, and procedures
• Ability to communicate effectively with guests and coworkers
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Preferred

• Retail experience
• Cash handling experience
• Food service experience
• Event or tournament experience
• Experience teaching games or working with hobby communities
• Knowledge of tabletop gaming products and communities

Examples include:

• Magic: The Gathering
• Pokémon
• Disney Lorcana
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Pathfinder
• Warhammer
• Board games
• Miniature wargames
• Organized play programs

Additional certifications or organized play experience are highly valued.

Age Requirements

Applicants under 18 may be considered for the position.

Applicants interested in alcohol service must meet all applicable New York State legal requirements.

Physical Requirements

Candidates should be comfortable standing for extended periods and performing typical retail duties.

Occasional lifting and movement of merchandise, event equipment, deliveries, and other supplies may be required.

Scheduling

• Part-time position
• Flexible scheduling
• Evening and weekend availability is preferred
• Additional availability may result in additional scheduling opportunities

Hours will vary based on business needs, special events, and individual availability.

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly pay starting at New York State minimum wage
• Additional compensation may be available based on experience, qualifications, certifications, cross-training, and performance.
• Employee merchandise discount
• Flexible scheduling
• Training opportunities across retail, events, and food service
• Opportunity to help build a new community-focused gaming destination from the ground up

A Final Word

Knowledge of games is important, but helping people have a great experience is the core of who we are.

At the end of the day, we're building a business, but we're also building a community. I started Rolling Bones because I love this hobby and the people in it. My goal has always been to create the kind of place where people can leave their stress at the door for a few hours, enjoy themselves, and make some great memories. I want that to be true for our staff just as much as it is for our customers.

I know jobs like this can be tough sometimes. Retail can be busy. Events can be hectic. Sometimes you'll be stocking shelves, cleaning tables, or helping solve problems instead of talking about your favorite games. That's just part of the job. But I still want to make sure that my staff have time to enjoy the hobby as much as possible so they can continue to share their love of games with others.

While I can't promise that everything will always be easy, I can promise that I'll always do my best to lead by example, be transparent, and treat people fairly and with respect. If you're open and honest with me, you'll always have my support. I don't expect perfection, but I do expect people to communicate, take responsibility, and look out for one another.

The people who embrace what we're trying to build here, help create great experiences, and make our community a better place absolutely won't go unnoticed. Those are the people who help turn a store into something special.

If you love tabletop gaming, enjoy working with people, and want to help build something meaningful here in Schenectady, I'd love to hear from you.

-Pete Gerasia

Owner and Barkeep, Rolling Bones Tavern Games LLC

"Where your next gaming adventure begins!"